Lorry safety petition dismissed by government ministers

The Government has dismissed a petition calling for improved driver training and lorry specifications, which could have protected cyclists in cities such as London.

More than 4000 people signed the petition on the Number 10 website calling for a reduction "to zero" in the number of cyclists killed by lorries.

The petition demanded that lorry drivers operating in city rush-hour traffic should have extra safety-awareness training specifically to protect vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians, and that their vehicles feature extra safety mirrors.

Government response was inadequate In its response, the Government said the newly introduced Driver Certificate of Professional Competence for lorry drivers was adequate protection for cyclists. In fact, this extra one day per year of driver training contains no specific material about cyclists or pedestrians.

The petition was organised by friends of Eilidh Cairns, a cyclist killed in collision with a lorry in Notting Hill last year. LCC advised members to support the measures.

In 2009, nine cyclist fatalities out of 13 in London were the result of collisions with lorries.